


My Life in Debt

by theaternerd1210



Category: Original Work
Genre: Anal Sex, Blindfolds, Bondage, Debt, Dubious Consent, F/M, Female Protagonist, Gay Sex, High School, Italian Mafia, M/M, NYC, Pole Dancing, Prom, Sex Work
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-07
Updated: 2018-05-21
Packaged: 2018-09-22 15:14:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 18
Words: 19,561
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9613358
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theaternerd1210/pseuds/theaternerd1210
Summary: Alice and her brother Arthur struggle with the debt their parents left behind. They are stuck doing anything they can to pay off their debt to the mafia, but the leader Mr. Caruso is manipulative and has his own agenda, and may have his eyes on a special someone.





	1. Fishnets and Short Skirts

The room is dark, music loud, and the smell of alcohol penetrates the thick air. The dancers are spinning or grinding around the poles on stage while men of varying ages, all with drinks in hand and only one thought in their minds, watch. I circle the room picking up empty glasses and filling drink orders. My feet ache after seven hours of walking in black stiletto heals that match my black fishnets, my skirt that is too short, and top, because I refuse to call something that covers just more than my bra a shirt. My uniform is standard of the waitresses’ at Caruso’s bar, however my skirt always appears shorter than the skirts of the other waitresses, and no matter how many times I have argued with my boss he insists that my uniform can not be changed to a longer skirt. Not that my employer cares about me, this job is just a means to an end. I constantly stare at the clock praying for midnight to come sooner. I have an exam to study for and a paper that won’t write itself no matter how many times I pray that it will.   
I start to pick up a glass that smells strongly of scotch when I feel someone pinch my ass, and I hear him laugh when I let out a small yelp in surprise. “Why don’t you get me another drink sweetheart?” He says in a tone that I am too familiar with, that suggests an overly confident rich bastard that has had too much to drink. “Then you can come sit on my lap and entertain me.” God I hate my job. I lean over and finish gathering the glasses on the table, purposefully sticking my butt out. “I’ll be right back with your drink.” I say in a seductive voice that took a long time to perfect.   
I walk over to the bar where Scott is constantly making drinks for the already drunk, but paying clientele. “Hey Scott, I need another scotch on the rocks.” He grabs the glass giving me one of his signature, crooked grins that always get him a nice tip. “And how is your evening ‘sweetheart’?” He says while handing me the new glass, the sweetheart mimicking the voice of the creep from my table. I take the drink from him, “Oh you know, staring men, another pair of ripped fishnets, and some less than generous tips.” He smiled, “So it’s a good night.” I laugh and go back to the tables drink in hand. He’s right of course, tonight has been one of my better nights.   
I place the guy’s drink on the table and turn to walk away, but I’m stopped when I feel a strong hand grab my wrist. “How bout’ that lap dance sweetheart?” Damn, well it had been a good night. I turn around and give him the most seductive smile I have while placing one hand on the back of his chair and the other on his shoulder. I lean over so my chest, which is supported by a large pushup bra, is right under his face and I bring my face close to his. “Mmm, that sounds likes fun.” I practically have this guy drooling on me. My hand has moved from his shoulder and is slowly moving down his body. My fingers are resting on his waist band, “But, that’s gonna cost extra, and trust me.” My hand stops at the buckle on his belt. “You can’t afford me.” I whisper in his ear before quickly standing up and walking to the back room before he has the chance to make an offer that my boss would make me take.  
“Make a new friend out there?” My friend Nikki asks as she walks into the back room. “Ha, he wanted a lap dance.” Nikki looks at me as she is pulling money out of the straps of her bra and G-string. “That’s it, why not do it, you could make a lot of extra money.” She was stripping down to almost nothing and starting to dress in her street clothes. Sometimes I envy her confidence in her body. However I don’t envy her job as a pole dancer. “Nikki I’m not that desperate yet.” She laughed “Are you implying that I am desperate?” Wow ok insert foot in mouth. “No of course not, and you know I envy your confidence in your body, but I’m so awkward and not sexy. And if I start dancing I’m letting them know that I’m getting desperate for money.” I start breathing quickly as yet again I realize how screwed up my life is. Nikki sees my panic and walks over to give me an awkward hug. “Hey, its ok I was joking, you know that I like my job, and I know you have your reasons for not wanting to work here. Just relax, your shift ends in 30 minutes and you can go home.” Nikki doesn’t know exactly why I work here, but she knows more than anyone else. Technically I’m not allowed to tell anyone of my current agreement with our employer. Nikki starts putting away her costume so I go back into the club to start serving a few extra tables, regardless of what I said to Nikki I need any extra money I can get.   
At 11:55 I start collecting bills and tips from my tables. Five minutes and I’m home free, I head to the back to change out of my uniform, because I am not walking home in New York at Midnight in fishnets and stilettos. I’ve done that once and had to run home so that some pimp wouldn’t try to pick me up. At 11:59 my bag is packed my tables are covered and my tips are safely stored in my bra. (I know that’s cliché, but pickpockets don’t think to steel from bras so it works). 12:00am I clock out and head to the back door. Unfortunately as I’m opening the door to leave I hear Scott’s voice. “Jade, boss wants to talk to you before you leave.” I shut the door, why the hell can’t I have one easy night.


	2. New Position

I walk into the office Eric Heckler, although the bar is known as Caruso’s the Heckler family runs the bar and Eric Heckler decides when we work, not like I have much of a choice. I close the door behind me and he looks up. “Jade” he smiles. “Eric” I know he can hear how annoyed I am. He clears his throat and gives me a stern look. “Sorry, Mr. Heckler” I say with the voice I use while working. I walk over to his desk and sit in the chair opposite him letting my skirt slide up as I cross my legs. One essential fact I learned while working for the Caruso family and his “friends” is that the more skin I show the more they listen to me. Eric stares at me, he always stares at me. “Well are you going to tell me why I’m here?”  
He says nothing, but drops a large stack of papers in front of me. He waits for me to react. I pulled over the papers and notice the familiar writing of a contract. Fuck, I hate contracts. “So why does he want me to sign this?”  
The smile on Eric Heckler’s face just keeps getting wider and scarier. “It has come to Mr. Caruso’s attention that you will be 18 next Friday and he would like to adjust a few of the minor details of your agreement.” I was hoping they would forget that that my contract was almost up. If they waited until after my 18th birthday I technically would not have to sign the new one, but under my current contract I don’t have much say. “What details?”  
I swear he enjoys tormenting me. “Well we are aware that you will be graduating from high school in just four weeks, and after that he would like you to start working earlier waitressing shifts in the front bar so you can take the later shifts back here afterword’s.” This isn’t exactly news to me, I’ve known that I would start working full time for them after high school, it’s not like I have the money to go to college. “Is that all?” He wouldn’t make this so drawn out if that was it. “Well he would like you to start… dancing in the club at night, one of the girls is leaving and he believes that working both jobs would help you to pay off your debt more quickly.” I knew he was hiding something. “I told him I wouldn’t dance in his club, I made that obvious two years ago when I started working here.” And I swear he has an argument for everything I say. “Actually Jade, in your current contract it states that you would refrain from dancing here until you turn 18 and sign your new contract, which you are also obligated to sign before your current contract has ended.” Fuck my life. “Is there any chance that Mr. Caruso will let me argue against this contract?” I know that chance is almost non-existent, but it doesn’t hurt to ask. “Actually Jade, Mr. Caruso has insisted that you sign this contract tonight.” He hands me a long black pen with an intricate gold pattern that is only used for signing contracts. I’m not sure about the significance of the pen, but I’ve only used it to sign my original contract two years ago. I take the pen and begin to sign my name and initials on the multiple pages. I finish signing the numerous pages and leave quickly, as I open the door to his office Eric calls me one last time. “Jade, Mr. Caruso would like to remind you that his other offer still stands and that he expects you to have an answer by your 18th birthday.” I slam the door behind me without giving him an answer. I walk home through the not so dark streets of New York. By the time I walk into my apartment it is 12:45, and I still have to finish homework for class, I guess I’m not sleeping tonight.


	3. School. Work. Homework?

Slam! A large textbook hits my desk and my head snaps up. "Ms. Wright I would appreciate it if you could stay awake during my lectures.” I lift my head up to see Dr. Cromwell standing in front of my desk. “Now since you feel that you can sleep in my class because you must know everything would you mind explaining the flow of blood through the heart both the systemic and pulmonary tracts.” I sit up straight and quietly explain the blood flow through the heart without stopping. Dr. Cromwell looks at me with a frustrated glare; I know he was planning on me not knowing the answer. The rest of the AP bio lecture is uneventful and the class ends at 9 am. “Ms. Wright please stay back for a moment.” The rest of the class leaves and I am left packing my backpack as Dr. Cromwell walks over to my desk. “Alice that is the fourth time you have fallen asleep in my class this month. Normally I would have already sent you to the principle, if it were not for the fact that you are still passing my class. However I have noticed your homework effort has been dropping quickly, is there a good reason for this?” I know he is being lenient and this isn’t the only class I have slept in, but there are just not enough hours in the day. “Sorry Dr. Cromwell I was at work late last night and I was up until four doing homework last night and I wake up for school at six.” He gives me the look that every other teacher has given me when I talk about working late, and I give them the same explanation every time, and explain to them that if my brother and I want to keep our apartment I have to work a full time job after school while he works all day. I thank him for his concern and leave the room to avoid being late for my next class. My English class is uneventful, but my day brightens when I meet with my friends for lunch. I sit with Andrea who has been my closest friend since preschool, Sarah who I met in high school, and Sarah’s boyfriend Robert. Andrea is the kind of person that is involved in every sport, she is the captain of the soccer team and the field hockey team and she is always dressed like she is ready to go workout with her very curly blonde hair always pulled back in this huge puffy ponytail. Andrea started seeing someone, but I have not met him yet, and my romantic life has been almost non-existent, and that is a common topic during lunch. “Alice please let me introduce you to Jeremy on the swim team. He’s really nice and wants to meet you.” Sarah is the exact opposite of Andrea. She is constantly looking at fashion magazines she designs her own clothes that she constantly wears, and she just recently got her hair chopped off to the new page boy look, which of course she can pull off, and she is always trying to set me up with someone. “Sarah you know I don’t have time. I work every day after school and most weekends, when am I supposed to date?” My friends know that I work at a local restaurant every afternoon; it’s why I sleep in my morning classes. Unfortunately they don’t fully understand my family’s financial struggle.   
Andrea knows that I hate talking about work so she chimes in “Ok new subject, who are you going to prom with?” Not much of a better topic. “I don’t think I’m going.” I swear I hear the sound of Sarah joking on her sandwich before I can finish my sentence. Robert is trying to help her breath before she freaks out on me. “How could you not go to our senior prom we only get one prom, and it’s on your birthday, its like one giant birthday party.” I know Sarah thinks she is helping, but having prom on my birthday is not my exact idea of fun. “Looks it’s not that big of a deal and besides I have work that night, and my boss is stubborn about changing shifts.” Of course Andrea and Sarah have to gang up on me. They spend the rest of lunch trying to convince me to go to prom and they tell me that I should ask someone if none of the guys ask me. “Although” Andrea says, “I wouldn’t be surprised if Jake asks you.” “Jake?”  
“Yeah Jake Heckler, I know I’ve seen him stare at you at least every day for the past two years.” Now Andrea is imagining things. “I’ve never talked to him, why would he ask me to prom?” Sarah chimes in. “Isn’t it obvious, he thinks you’re hot.” Not this again, “Trust me I am by no means any form of the word hot.” That ended the conversation. The rest of the day was the same as always, I sat through calculus and world history then walked home to the tiny apartment my brother and I live in.


	4. Home Sweet Home

I get home at three and have a half hour before I have to leave for work. My brother Arthur is changing before going to his second job. Arthur and I have been living on our own since I was 16 and he was 19. My brother works two jobs and I work after school so that we can afford to stay in our one bedroom apartment in Manhattan. I walk in on him buttoning his white shirt that is part of his uniform as a waiter at the Manhattan dinner, one of the most popular dinners in New York. He always manages to look like he spent a good hour getting ready and not like he just rushed home from one job and has 20 minutes to change before he has to leave again. However his brown hair is long enough now that it is starting to curl, and I constantly bother him about it because I know he doesn’t like his hair curly. “Hey Artie” I say when he hasn’t noticed me yet. He turns and sticks his tongue out at me. I know he hates when I call him Artie, but as his little sister it is my job to annoy him. “Shouldn’t you be leaving for work?” He laughs at me “what no how are you, how was your day.” It’s not like his days are any different. He goes to work, comes home, then goes back to work, six days a week and honestly that’s what I’ll be doing once I finish school. “I’m going to be back late tonight, boss asked me to take an extra shift, so I’ll be back around 3.” I know he’s been working later recently. The rent is due tomorrow and we are a little short this week. “Ok, well I’m probably going to be out late too, don’t want the landlord breathing down my back tomorrow waiting for the rent.” Arthur walks over and gives me a hug, as much as he loves to bother me he gives great hugs. “I’m sorry you have to work so much, your only 17 you should be able to go out on Friday nights.”   
I always feel bad for Arthur, at 19 he had to drop out of college and work two jobs to try and support his little sister (16 year old me at the time) while living in Manhattan. He was at NYU for one semester studying engineering when he got a call from the police asking him to come and identify the bodies of our parents. He came to pick me up later that day then dropped out of college the next. Arthur and I have been just barely scraping by for almost two years now.   
“Arthur you know I was never into going out, but I should get going, don’t want to be late for work.” With that Arthur walks out of the apartment and I grab something to eat before walking to work.


	5. Dance Lessons

Learning how to pole dance is probably one of the most awkward experiences of my life. Nikki and the other dancers make it look so easy. I came into work at 9 this morning so I could practice for two hours before my waitressing shift starts in the bar. “Jade” I hear Eric Heckler call me as Nikki is trying to show me how to make grinding on the pole look sexy, which again is a lot more difficult than it looks. I turn to face him, my right arm is holding the pole above my head while my left hand slides along my leg. I slide up and down the pole while Mr. Heckler is staring at me, because apparently this experience wasn’t already uncomfortable. He lifts up his hand and uses one finger to call me over to him. I walk over to the edge of the stage in my five-inch stilettos and slowly lower myself so that I’m face to face with him. “Eric” I give him an evil grin. “Jade in order for you to be able to dance by Friday I want you to come in early tomorrow and stay late for the rest of this week.” Because working an eight-hour shift after high school isn’t too much already. “Oh and you should probably get dressed for work, Mr. Caruso might stop by today and you wouldn’t want him to see you out of uniform.” I slide off the stage and start walking to the dressing rooms, but I turn my head just before the door. “Some how I doubt that Mr. Caruso would mind if I whore tiny shorts and a sports bra to work” I turn and walk through the door.  
Mr. Caruso does stop by today, as well as Eric’s younger brother Jacob. I serve Mr. Caruso’s table and I almost finished the night without him acknowledging me until I bring him his last drink and he says “I look forward to seeing you on Friday Jade… I want you to work the later shift today so you can stay until closing.” “Oh, um of course Mr. Caruso” I turn to walk away and catch Jacob staring at me as I walk back to the bar. The one upside about today was the more than generous tip that one of Mr. Caruso’s associates left me. When my shift is over at seven I go to the club in the back to work on dancing again before the club opens at nine, where I continue to waitress until 2 am. By the way, walking around for more than 12 hours in five-inch stilettos is murderous on your feet, but it does wonders for my legs. That night I walk back to my apartment in my heels, fishnets, and mini skirt, because the clothes that I came in seamed to just disappear into thin air. Which wasn’t the first time that happened. Unfortunately that means that I have to walk through the streets of Manhattan at 2am dressed as a hooker, while the men that walk around Manhattan at 2am stare at me. Tonight one of them approaches me just two blocks from my apartment. “Hey baby you looking to make some money?” He is too close and I can smell his horrible breath that is heavy with smoke. I push him away slightly, “No thanks baby”. He continues to follow, by the way I have nothing against the women that I do pass on the street that are looking for work, because I know that if I didn’t have my current job I probably would have resorted to there line of work in order to pay off some family debts.  
In fact the only reason I work for the Caruso family is to pay off a rather large debt that my family owes them. I have been working for them for the past two years, and I know that I will continue to work for them for at least the next ten years maybe more if they decide that I haven’t paid enough.


	6. Prom Night

“Alice you have to go.” It’s Wednesday and Sarah is still bothering me about not going to prom. I have failed to mention to her that my boss allowed me to change shifts with someone else so that I don’t have to go to work until 12. “Sarah if a guy miraculously decides to ask me to prom within the next two days I will go, however I have no idea what I would wear.” Sarah literally jumps with joy. “Don’t worry about a dress I just finished mine last night and I may have been working on a little something for you, just in case you changed your mind.” “Sarah!” “Well I knew you wouldn’t spend money to buy a prom dress, and I figured you wouldn’t have time. Don’t worry its short and sexy.” I give her a pissed off look. She knows I’m not crazy about wearing things that she thinks will make me look hot.  
And of course with my luck, just before the end of the day Jake Heckler brings me a single red rose and asks me to go to prom with him. I honestly think that Sarah said something to him. I don’t have time to see the dress Sarah has for me this afternoon because I have work so I just hope she didn’t do anything to crazy when I go to her house after school on Friday which coincidently is my 18th birthday. Sarah brings me to her room, which always has new designs and half sewn piece strewn around the floor. She pulls out my dress and it is definitely not what I was expecting. The dress is light blue with black outlining it’s short and ragged at the bottom with black crinoline peaking out. The back laces like a corset and she made black lace leaves that start at my hand at stop of my elbow. Honestly I look like a cross between a stripper and a punk rock version of Alice from Alice and Wonderland, which I guess is appropriate considering that the prom is Alice in Wonderland themed. Once Sarah finishes lacing up the back she drags me in front of the long mirror in her room. “You love it right.” She is too excited about this dress. “I see you really um…focused on the theme.” She gave me an exasperated look. “Well of course, when will I ever have the chance to design an Alice dress for my friend Alice at an Alice and Wonderland themed prom.” “I love it Sarah thank you, just please tell me you didn’t ask Jacob to dress like the Mad Hatter.” Sarah gives me her ‘you did not just ask me that’ look. “Of course not, I just told him to wear a blue tie. Ok now sit down I still I have to do your makeup.” I sigh in frustration, “Sarah you do know that I can do my make-up right?” Oh course that doesn’t stop her from doing my hair and make-up anyway and then proceeding to finish her own hair and make-up and puts on a long red dress that was inspired by the queen of hearts.  
At 7:30 a limo pulls in front of Sarah’s apartment and Andrea steps out with her date Michael, followed by Robert and Jacob. He walks out of the limo with a big goofy smile on his face and carrying a corsage. “Hi” he says. “I um, I got you a corsage, I hope you like it”, he says as he places it on my wrist. “You look beautiful tonight.” He says. “Oh um thanks” I smile shyly. “Oh um not that you don’t not look beautiful other days, its just the dress and prom and…” I don’t think he knows what to say next. “Jake, its ok, I get it, thank you. You look really handsome.” He takes my arm in his and we join our friends to take pictures before the prom.   
We all dance together at the prom, Jake and I slow dance together, Sarah wins prom queen of course we all voted for her, and some jock on the football team wins prom king (shocker). Then Andrea goes up to the DJ and tells him that it is my 18th birthday, which results in everyone singing Happy Birthday to me and getting a private slow dance with Jake. Speaking of Jake he is actually very funny, and goofy, a bit loud, but he is also very sweet and I find him very easy to talk to, and I even had my first kiss with him while we were dancing.  
After the last song we all start walking down the street to wait for the limo to pick us up. Jake and I are walking together ahead of Sarah and Robert, and Andrea and Michael are behind all of us. As I am laughing at Jake’s newest joke, which he apparently has a new one every five minutes; I hear a car speeding up behind us. Suddenly a large black Rolls Royce drives up next to us with a huge black hummer behind it. I almost trip in my six-inch heels until Jake catches me. The cars stop in front of us just as Sarah and Robert are catching up to us. The door to the hummer opens and eight very large men step out. Then the back door of the Rolls Royce opens and the last person that I want to see steps out of the car.


	7. Two Lives

Unfortunately there isn’t much we can do when surrounded by bodyguards. Jake takes my hand in his and pulls me back as the man from the car steps forward. “Well Jade I was hoping you would be on your way to work by now” I stare at my feet, too afraid to look at him. However, Sarah apparently is either not phased by who he is, or she doesn’t realize whom she is talking to. “Excuse me, Sir, but I think you have the wrong girl, this is my friend Alice, not Jade, and we were just leaving our prom I don’t see why she would be working for you.” He directs his attention to her. “Ah Sarah, is it, I heard that you are rather outspoken, but you really should learn how to address your superiors. You wouldn’t want to cost Jade her job would you?” He gave that half grin that never fails to appear when he is over confident. Sarah starts to freak out. “How the hell do you know my name, and what makes you think you are my superior, and again she isn’t Jade her name is Alice, and you are not her boss. Who the hell are you that you think you can show up and surround us out of nowh…” “Sarah!” I yell then turn to him, “I’m sorry Sir I haven’t told them about my job yet.” He looks at his watch, “Well you have three minutes before we have to leave if you don’t want to be late.” He steps closer and picks up part of my skirt. “Although it was nice of you to dress for work, I’m sure they will love the new costume.” This time Andrea speaks up. “What gives you the right to talk to Alice like that, and what the hell is with the body guards?” As soon as Andrea asks the eight very large and intimidating men take a simultaneous step forward. “Sir, I am so sorry, if they knew who you are they would know to stop talking.” I glance back at my friends to make sure they get the message to shut up. “And I guess since you already know who they are I should introduce you and take what is probably my last chance to explain this…” I turn slightly towards my friends trying to put off the inevitable. Unfortunately I only have three minutes to explain the past two years of my life and it doesn’t help that he is right behind me. “Well, I guess the first thing is that my parents’ death wasn’t and accident, they were killed for breaking the rules too many times, and not paying back a very large sum of money. Of course the debt now falls to Arthur and I forcing us to work, every waking minute to afford a tiny apartment and to pay back the ‘loans’. So every day after school I work as a waitress at Caruso’s bar. Jade is my stage name and the only name that my coworkers know me by except for my boss. And this gentleman that you were yelling at is not only my employer, and the man that we owe around $250,000, he is also the infamous Mr. Caruso.”  
I give that a moment to sink in while the looks of shock and horror spread out among my friend’s faces. Jake is the only person that isn’t surprised by this information. Mr. Caruso looks at his watch. “Oh, look at the time Alice we’re leaving, Jacob”. Everyone turned to face him. “Why don’t you help Alice into the limo.” He turned back to the car and one of his giant bodyguards opened the door for him.  
Andrea and Sarah walk up to me, “He’s joking right, he can’t just make you work for him?” Sarah said. I shrug, “Actually he can, he basically owns my brother and I until we pay him of, which won’t be for another ten years at least so until then, I do what he says.” “ALICE, Now.” I turn and walk to the giant limo, Jake is standing at the door waiting for me. As he takes my hand to help me step in he whispers, “I’m sorry.” Before stepping in the limo as well.  
The ride to the club is silent and awkward. I sit next to Mr. Caruso as he requested. He keeps his hand on my thigh without saying anything and continues moving his hand slowly up my leg. Jake sits across from us and I can tell he’s trying not to look at either of us. I’m relieved when we arrive at the club and Mr. Caruso removes his hand from my leg. As we walk into the club I can feel his hand on my back directing me towards back stage. The club is already full and I can see many of the usual men already waiting for the show. As I enter back stage Nikki is preparing to go on stage. She practically jumps when she notices me. “JADE, where have you been you’re on after me.” I try to reply, but she doesn’t give me a chance. “It doesn’t matter, get ready you have ten minutes before I’m done.” With that she steps in front of the curtain to begin a ten-minute routine in an extremely tight black jumpsuit that I know will be almost completely torn off before she is done.   
I step into my dressing room to add to the makeup that has already been caked onto my face. I straiten out my fishnet tights and adjust my skirt, before retying the ribbons on the back of my “dress” if you can call it that. As far as costumes go this dress could be considered very conservative next to the costumes everyone else wears. I pull my hair out of the elaborate pinned up braid that Sarah put my hair in early tonight. My hair falls half way down my back in large curls, while a few strands fall in front of my shoulders to frame my face. Before working at Caruso’s I never gave much thought to how I dressed, and makeup was a new concept to me. Now I’m constantly fixing my hair and reapplying makeup to make sure I look exactly how we are supposed to look.  
One of the guys that works back stage knocked on my door before opening it to let me know that I have two minutes before I have to be on stage. I guess it’s show time; I shrug my shoulders and leave my room. I walk through the dark hallways of “backstage” dreading the next ten minutes of my life. I walk up the steps that lead to the stage as Nikki is walking back stage, drenched in sweat and only wearing a G-string and the smallest bra I have ever seen. I step up behind the curtains and wait for the MC to give my introduction. However he isn’t the person to give my introduction. “Gentlemen, I thank you for coming tonight, as the club’s most valued and frequent customers I thought it only appropriate that our newest dancer give her debut tonight for all of you. I’m sure some of you have already met our lovely Jade while she was working in the bar, but now I am delighted to say that she will be joining our performers from now on, and I couldn’t think of a better way to help her celebrate her 18th birthday.


	8. Bright Lights

“Tonight, Jade has a special performance for all of you. Did you know that she just came from her senior prom?” I can hear some of the men snicker, “She already had a lovely dress and I thought it a shame to not let her show off her custom made dress.” I step up to the curtains my legs more sturdy than I thought. I’ve decided I’m going to give them the best show I can, and maybe surprise Mr. Caruso. “I give you our own Alice in Wonderland.” The curtain opens, the lights are blinding, and the crowd silent. I slowly walk toward the thin metal pole in the center of the long narrow stage. As I walk I can hear catcalls, but I can’t see their faces. It’s a blessing to not see who they are. I can almost pretend they aren’t all staring at me, wondering what my body looks like, hoping that I will strip like the other girls in the club.   
The music starts it’s slow and quiet. I place my right hand around the pole, then my left hand. My hips circle, as I start to listen to the music and loose myself in the dance. It’s difficult to describe exactly what I do. The dance is long and intricate, I wrap my leg around the pole to pull myself up, as I spin to face my right, and then step off to face the left. I slide down to the floor to dance in front of the clients. There is a moment where I pause and I feel the first dollar bill being placed in the garter on my left thigh. I turn to face the man when I feel his hand moving farther up my thigh. I panic; they aren’t supposed to do that during normal dances. I slowly back up and climb back on the stage. The music is loud now; I can’t hear their whistles, beckoning me toward them. I just focus on the routine, I smile when appropriate, I caress my body, and I ignore the roaming hands when they places dollar bills in my costume. When there is a minute left in the song I start to feel more confident. I start dancing around the tables and getting closer to the clients. I can feel them pulling on my costume. They are grabbing the material of my skirt and pulling at the strings on my corset. I start moving back to the stage, as I step on the stage I can feel my skirt pulled of completely exposing my black underwear and thigh high fishnets. The laces on my corset are loose and all of the men have moved to standing around the stage as the end of my dance was mainly on the floor. I can feel them pulling at my corset. I try to ignore them as their violating hands pull at my waist and make scratches down my legs. The music is on its last chorus when I start pulling away from them. The last dollar bills are slipped into my fishnets, and just as the music ends I can feel my corset torn off my body. I pull back from them now only in my underwear and an unfortunately translucent lace bra as I’m kneeling against the pole. My chest is heaving as I use the pole to pull my self up and I carefully walk to the back of the stage. I can hear the catcalls now, and the laughing as they watch me stumble in my heels.   
The second I walked back stage Scott is there to hold me up as I fall into his arms. He decides to pick me up and carry me into my dressing room, as my legs are now unable to carry myself. Once we enter my room he puts me down in front of my mirror and I fall into my chair shaking as Scott starts pulling the money from my bra and underwear so that I wont have to. He pulls my hair back so that it is not stuck to my face from sweat, and he hands me a bottle of water. He places a robe around my shoulder just before the door to my dressing room bursts open and Mr. Caruso enters. “Jade!” He storms into my room with an overly large grin on his face. He shoves Scott away from me so that he is standing right behind me, with his hands on my shoulders. “Damn you were sexy, and that ending was amazing.” He says as he starts to knead his hands into my shoulders. “There are a few things we’ll have to work on, but we will start with that next week.” Then he starts running his hands over my arms, until I pull my robe more tightly around my body, pulling my legs up into my chair to hide more of my body.  
“They tore my close off.” I say under my breath. I can feel the first tear role down my cheek, and I hate myself for letting him see me like this. “That was the point my dear, the less clothes you wear the more they pay.” I can feel more tears now as he hand comes up to my face to wipe away my tears. “Awww don’t cry sweetheart, you don’t look pretty when you cry.” I can see him smile at my misery. “Please don’t make me do that again.” I whisper, I can’t speak up for a fear of sobbing when I try to speak. Of course this only makes him happier, as he leans down to whisper in my ear. “Don’t worry Alice it will get easier with practice. A few weeks from now you will be the sluttiest dancer in my club. Maybe I’ll even invite your brother to watch.” I can feel his tongue just barely lick up the edge of my ear, and I shiver with how intimate and repulsive it feels. He stands up turns around and addresses Scott, “You’ve got five minutes left of your break.” “Yes Sir.” Mr. Caruso walks out and slams the door.  
Scott pulls up a chair next to mine, and holds me while I sob into his chest. I can feel his hand running through my hair and it’s almost soothing. “I can’t do this again, I can’t do that.” He doesn’t say anything as I continue to cry into him and I am thankful for his silence. He knows there is nothing he can do but sit with me until his break ends.


	9. What Happens at Work Stays at Work

Nikki drives me back to my apartment tonight. I think she is afraid that I will start crying in the middle of the street if I walk home. It’s 4 am when I walk in the apartment and to my “luck” Arthur is in the kitchen with a bowl of cereal and staring at his phone. “Hey Art” I try to act like this is a normal night. “ALICE!” he gets up and practically knocks me over in a hug. “Where have you been, you haven’t answered your phone and no one was answering the phone at the bar.”  
“Sorry, I got there late after the prom so Eric made me stay late and my phone died.” He gives me this look that my mom used to give me, the look that says ‘I know your not telling me everything, but I’m not going to ask why’. I hate that look, but he doesn’t need to know that I have progressed from waitress to pole dancer in one night. “Do you have work tomorrow?” He asks, “No, I was planning on sleeping tomorrow.” He keeps looking at me. “Are you ok Alice?”  
“Yea, I’m fine, I’ll see you in the morning.” I turn to leave, but he walks up, turns me around and hugs me. It’s a warm and loving hug, and I know that he knows I’m hiding something, but he doesn’t ask. He holds me for a while and I realize how tired I am when I start falling over in his arms. He laughs, “I think you should go bed.” “I’m trying to.” I mumble. Instead of letting go he wraps his arms around my legs and picks me up. Arthur carries me into our room, puts me down on my bed and grabs a pair of pjs from my closet. He leaves the room so I can change and then comes back into to tuck me into bed. “You’re making me feel like I’m five.” He laughs again, getting him to laugh once a day is difficult twice is unheard of, but a welcomed surprise. “You’ve been working too hard, you need to relax. Sleep late, and then we will celebrate your birthday. Good night Alice.” I grab his hand, “Thanks Art, love you.” “Love you sis, go to sleep.”   
He walks into the bathroom to get ready for bed. I hear the bedroom door open again right before I fall asleep knowing that he is on the other side of the room.  
The next day I wake up to the smell of bacon. I can hear Arthur in the kitchen whistling while he flips pancakes and I’m sure that by now he probably has the coffee waiting on the table. I roll over to look at my clock and ‘wow, I can’t believe I slept until 12:30.’ I climb out of bed and head toward to kitchen to see if he needs help.  
I walk into the kitchen as Arthur is placing two pancakes on the table. “Morning sleeping beauty, or not so beauty.” I sit down across from him. “Sorry, I didn’t have time to do my I just woke up make-up, I was still sleeping.” He has this giant smile and he looks like he’s holding back his laughs. “What could I have possibly done in the five seconds that I have been awake, to be so hilarious?” Instead of saying anything he just eats a large forkful of pancakes. I grab a piece of bacon and dip it in my syrup mmmmmh. “It looks like you had time to do some make up this morning, but I think you missed your eyes.” Then he bursts out laughing. I keep eating as I stare at him. “Well that’s what happens when you insist that I go to bed before I have time to take off prom make up.” I stick my tongue out at him for added affect.  
“By the way, how was prom?” “It was fun, we danced, we talked, we hung out, nothing amazing happened.” Obviously I’m not telling him what happened at the club, and I pray he will never know.   
As always the few days that I don’t have work go by too quickly. I wished I had the full week off, but around 5pm I receive a text from Eric saying that I was expected to arrive at 10 am for rehearsal and I had to work from two to twelve. As I walk through to back door of the club Monday morning I am suddenly hit with the realization that this is going to be life for at least the next 10 years, not the best way to start my morning.


	10. That's My Schedule

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry I haven't posted in a while.

Four months after graduation and my schedule has finally become consistent. It’s horrible, but consistent. I work six days a week for a minimum of 10 hours a day, it’s closer to twelve. Wednesday is my day off because it is the slowest day in the club. Sunday through Thursday I show up at ten to rehearse, I work in the bar from one to eight, and I work in the club from eight to midnight. Normally, no one would work this many hours a week for Caruso’s bar, but he conveniently lost another dancer last month and has yet to find someone else to replace her. On top of that I have to spend Friday and Saturday rehearsing from ten to one, working in the bar from one to nine, and working in the club from nine thirty to one a.m. I think Mr. Caruso is trying to work me to death and Eric Heckler has no sympathy for me. The dancing is starting to improve, but I think it might just be my increasing ability to detach myself from feeling anything while at work.  
I am almost never home, and by the time I get home Arthur is already asleep, and by the time I wake up he has already left for work. It is a constant cycle of: get up, walk to work, work, go home, eat, and sleep for five hours. Wednesday is the only day that Arthur and I ever talk to each other or spend any time together and even that is limited because he has work at noon.   
However, this Thursday is my lucky day. The club is slow tonight so Eric sends me home after my shift in the bar ends. Thursdays are always the longest, because Scott has the day off. Unfortunately the other bartender doesn’t share the same sense of humor or overall nice personality that Scott has. I walk home at nine and enjoy the fact that the streets are still fairly busy, and I don’t feel like I draw any attention.  
Unfortunately getting home early means that I run into our landlord on the way up to our apartment. “Alice” he barks as I turn the corner. I pause as he stomps over to me. He puts his hand on the wall above my head as he tries to tower over me. “Where’s my money, you’re still a month behind.” Ugh, he’s so close I can smell the fact that he hasn’t showered in a few days being masked by a full bottle of cheap cologne. “Ed I told you I get my paycheck tomorrow night and I will bring you the rent on Saturday.” He kind of growls at me, “What about this month’s rent?” I managed to side step a little so that I’m not quite so close to the smell that’s going to make me vomit. “I’m working on it. Arthur gets his paycheck Monday, we should be able to give you half by then.” I can see the look of smug content he has, knowing that Arthur and I are always struggling to pay the rent in this hellhole of an apartment. He starts approaching me again this time he doesn’t stop until I’m in the corner of the hallway. If this were to happen with anyone else, I would punch him, but given that this is my landlord and he can technically kick us out right now for being late on paying rent I choose to look down and refrain from talking. “You know, if you can’t afford your rent, there are other ways that you can pay.” And oh god, I can’t believe he is standing over me in the corner of the hallway, his one hand above me head the other by his crotch, and does he actually think that I would be that desperate?   
“I’d be willing to give you an extra week to pay your rent if you’d do me a favor.” He brings his hand up to my chin and lifts my head up to look at me. He completely ignores the death stare I am currently giving him as he pushes a strand of hair behind my ear. “I’m not askin much, you could do it right here, it won’t take to long, and you have such a pretty mouth.” And that’s it I can’t take this and I push his hand away from my face, “Ed I will never be that desperate, I would rather sleep on the street.” I push past him and start running up the stairs. “What’s wrong sweetheart, does the whore finally have standards?” he sneers. “How dare you, I’m not a whore.” He gives a very fake laugh at that. “You don’t think I see you comin back around 12:30 every night and 4am on weekends. Everyone in this apartment knows what you are sweetheart, don’t fool yourself into thinkin’ that you are anything other than a cheep slut.” I can feel tears starting to run down my face.   
“How dare you, I spend every day working my ass off, getting paid less than minimum wage for a boss that loves to do nothing else than make my life a living hell. So yes I get home late every night, not because I am a prostitute, but because my work hours are from 10 am to midnight. And I told you that I will get the rent to you by Saturday, and yes I know that you need our rent so don’t give me any crap about someone else taking the apartment because we both know that no one wants to live here.” With that I stomp up to our floor, and slam the door behind me as I enter our apartment.


	11. Bad Timing

As I walk through the apartment I am too frustrated to notice the many signs that would have stopped me from opening the bedroom door. I missed Arthur’s jacket on the hook, I missed his shoes by the door, I definitely missed the second pair of shoes by the room that should have stopped me, but unfortunately I didn’t notice any of them, and I find myself walking into the bedroom where I find Arthur on his bed naked, and making out with another guy that is also butt naked. The door is open for all of one second before he notices me. “Alice!” He shouts as he quickly grabs the blanket to cover himself, as I quickly leave the room and slam the door. Wow this day turned from good to bad all to quickly. I go and sit at the kitchen table while I wait for Arthur to get dressed.  
He walks out five minutes later and comes to sit across from me at the table. He is currently refusing to look at me as he plays with the hem of his shirt. “Sooo, what’s his name?” I ask with a smile, hoping to break the tension. “What?” He says, still refusing to look at me. “Who is the guy you were just making out with, how long have you been together, what’s his name?” I realize that I am now leaning over the table to get closer to Arthur.   
“He’s just a guy I met.” He says as he starts biting his lips. “Yea, I don’t believe that. Tell me how long you’ve been seeing him…wait do you always see each other on Thursdays?” He just sits there, still avoiding looking at me. “Arthur please this isn’t a big deal, I just want to know who he is.”   
“Alice I haven’t come out to anyone except him, and your acting like you’ve known this for a while, I haven’t even known that long.” I can see him trying to hold back tears. I get up and go around the table to hug him. “Arthur you know I don’t care right, if you like guys than that’s great.” He wraps his arms around me and I can feel his very tense shoulders starting to relax. “But your acting like you already knew. I didn’t accept the fact that I am gay until I was 18, and Scott is the first guy that I came out to, and that’s only because he told me that he liked me first.” He steps back and I can see the smile on his face, “and that was four months ago.” I can feel my jaw drop. “Arthur, you’ve been dating a guy for four months and you didn’t tell me.” I can feel myself smiling as I’m trying to have a stern face. “Well I didn’t know how to tell you, and I definitely didn’t know that you already knew I was gay. By the way how long have you known?” I roll my eyes at him. “I had my suspicions when you were 16 but I definitely knew when you were 18.” He gives me his look with the raised eyebrow. “Alice, I didn’t even know when I was 16 how could you know?” I laugh at his expression. “Arthur, the signs were there. 

You never talked about a girl at school, never talked about dating a girl, and you avoided the subject of marriage like the plague when it was brought up at home. Also I think I noticed your lingering stares at hot guys before you did.”  
“So where is this Scott that I haven’t met?” Arthur laughs, “I told him to stay in the room until I explained this to you. Hey Scott, it’s safe now.” “Hey!” I punch his arm for that one. I hear the door opening, and I see a tall skinny guy walk out of the bedroom in his cropped jeans and trendy button down shirt with his fedora, and oh my god. “Scott!” He looks up at me. “Jade!”


	12. You Said You were a Waitress

“Jade, what are you doing here?” Arthur steps in, “Scott why are you calling my sister Jade?” Scott appears overly shocked. “This is your sister?” I role my eyes at him, “Yes this is my sister Alice, I told you she is always working, but apparently she got out of work early today.” He pauses for a moment. “Do you know each other?” I jump in before Scott has a chance to answer. “Uh yea, Scott is a bartender at Caruso’s bar, we usually work the same shift.” Arthur nods, “But why did he call you Jade?” I pause…“Well that’s the name I go by at his bar, I don’t plan on telling anyone that works there or frequents that establishment my actual name. It’s easier to distance myself from that environment if they don’t use my real name. Mr. Caruso actually suggested it. Now if you don’t mind I am going to take a shower.” I walk by Scott on the way to my room, “I’ll see you tomorrow Scott.”  
I walk through the bedroom and directly into the bathroom. I grab a towel from the closet, turn the shower on scalding hot, strip off my clothes and step into the tiny shower. The water burns slightly, but the steam and hot water helps to calm my nerves and I start to relax. I plan to go to bed early tonight, because Eric told me to show up at 9am tomorrow to put some finishing touches on the new dance that Nikki and will be doing tomorrow night.  
~~~  
“Scott do you mind staying for a few minutes?” He has a concerned look on his face. “Just sit with me, I’ll make coffee.” Scott walks over to the table and sits in the chair across from mine. I get up to make the coffee. While Scott sits down, “So, your friends with my sister.” Scott looks over at Arthur while he is still making the coffee. “Um yea, we talk a lot at work, she doesn’t really have a lot of friends at the bar.” I brought over the coffee and sat across from Scott. “I just wanted to ask you about what she does at the bar. Since she graduated she has been working constantly, and I’m concerned that something else is going on because she never wants to talk about it.” Scott just takes his coffee and starts sipping it loudly. “Please Scott, I need to know why Alice is changing. She barely talks to me, and every time I bring up work she just turns in on herself.” Scott puts down his coffee mug. “Arthur you know you should get Alice to tell you all this, maybe she just needs more time.” I reach over and grab his hand on the table. “Scott please I understand that you would want to protect Alice if she asked you not to say anything, but I know Mr. Caruso, and I know that he has an obsession with her, I just want to make sure that he isn’t hurting her.” Scott holds my hand tighter, and brings it up to his lips to kiss. “I’ll tell you what I know, but you need to listen to everything and you can’t be mad at her.” I nod my head. “Ok, well the night she turned 18, was the first night that Caruso, made her dance in his club. I don’t know what the deal she made with him is, but she said that she made a deal with Caruso that ended with her agreeing to dance in the club every night. And I know that a lot of the girls that dance in Caruso’s club made deals with him, because they owe him a debt, but most of them still like their job, but Jade…Alice, hates it.” Scott pauses for a minute. Taking my hand in both of his. “Her first night was pretty bad, Caruso was there so he could watch her, and the guys in the club… they were brutal that night. Look Arthur your sister is one of the toughest girls I’ve met, she turns rude comments from jerks into jokes, and manages to piss men off while making them want her, but that night after her dance, I had to carry her back to her dressing room before she broke down.” I feel like I’m going to be sick, how could Alice hide all of this from me. “Arthur you need to talk to her about this, I don’t know all the details.”  
“What details?” I ask as I open the bedroom door. Arthur and Scott are still sitting in the kitchen, but Scott immediately gets up when he sees me. “I should go.” He says while grabbing his coat. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Alice.” As Scott heads toward the door Arthur gets up too and follows him. I hear Arthur say “I’ll call tomorrow after work.” Just before kissing Scott goodbye.   
Once Arthur closes the door he turns around to face me. “Scott told me about your birthday.” It kills me that I can see the disappointment in his eyes, and I know he is disappointed in himself for not knowing and he hates that I didn’t tell him. “Arthur, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I was just too…too” I can feel the tears starting to fall down my cheeks, as Arthur pulls me into a hug. “I’m sorry Alice, I should have known, you shouldn’t have to go through this alone.” He refuses to let go of me as we walk into our bedroom and sit together on my bed. I think Arthur is afraid that if he lets go of me that I’m going to fall apart. So, we just sit on the bed, while he rubs my back and tries to wait for me to stop crying.   
“You know you can always tell him no right. You don’t have to do what he says, I’ll call Caruso and negotiate a new contract with him so you don’t have to dance at his club.” If only that was true. I hate that I can’t tell Arthur everything, he doesn’t understand that Caruso won’t hesitate to hurt him. “Arthur, it’s not… it’s nothing I can’t… I can handle it. It’s not too bad.” Arthur knows I’m lying, he can hear it in my voice, but I’m so thankful that he doesn’t say anything. I move out of his very strong hug to lie down in bed. “I need to go to bed, I have to be at the club at nine tomorrow.” He gives me a weak smile. “Ok, I’ll see you in the morning. Love you Alice.” “I love you too Artie.”


	13. Fine Print

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning, Arthur's story is going to get worse before it gets better

“You’re late!” Is what I am greeted with when I walk into the back of Fine Print Caruso’s main bar and club that was once a printing company before his company bought them out. I practically walk into Damien, when he decides to point out the very obvious fact that yes I am late. “Sorry boss, the subway got held up.” Of course he decides to stand in my way of clocking in. “Come on Art you know I gotta tell Caruso.” He pushes me back against the wall before walking away. I guess I should have seen that coming, Damien has made it his life’s mission to make everyday at work as miserable as possible. But regardless of his constant miserable attitude I try to be as positive and friendly as possible as I walk behind that bar and start to set up for my shift. Becoming a bartender has been one of the only positive things that has happened since I met Mr. Caruso. Of course he has to make me a bartender at his main bar/club/meeting place for suspicious clients and partners instead of a small bar in the city that he never visits or even better would be to work at the same bar as Alice so I could at least know that she is ok. However I usually manage not to piss off any of the clients while making their drinks.  
Tonight well… let’s just say I am less focused than usual. Which becomes blatantly evident when one of the clients asks for a rum and coke and I handed him a gin and tonic. Someone must have told Caruso, because Damien comes to collect me. “Hey blondie, boss says he wants to talk to you.” “And he sent you to get me.” I say with a practiced grin. I have to fight with myself to not punch him, as he leans over the bar to ruffle my hair when he calls me “blondie”. “Yea someone complained that you’ve been messin’ up drinks, boss wants to know why.” He grabbed the collar of my shirt and began pulling me along. “If you ask me, I think the boss should keep you in one of his smaller bars.” I notice the grip on my shirt tighten slightly. “Well why don’t you ask him why he keeps me here? He could definitely get a better bartender than me.” Damian turns to look at me with that evil smirk. “Actually I have a theory, well most of us have a theory for why the boss keeps you around.” He winks at me then continues to pull me toward the upstairs office. “Well are you going to tell me this theory?” We stop in front of Mr. Caruso’s office. I have only been inside once and that was on my first day of work, I’d rather not go back inside.  
Damian knocks on the door three times. Again I ask him, “Well what’s your theory?” He looks at me like I’ve asked him an odd question. “Well it’s pretty obvious.” I look at him with a blank face. “Come in” we here from behind the ominous door. Damian has a malicious grin when he caresses his thumb across my cheek before I have the chance to cringe away from him. He grabs my shoulder and brings his mouth right next to my ear. “We all know the boss wants you to join his little harem.” I pull away from him. “What are you talking about?” Damien grabs my arm and pulls me against his chest. “I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s why he wants to talk to you. He probably wants to make more money of your body.” Before I have time to answer he opens that door and shoves me inside.   
Mr. Caruso’s office is about as intimidating as you would expect. A large mahogany desk stands in the middle of the office. Deep red curtains cover the large window behind the desk blocking out any light. On every wall of his office he has guns from every century, but he also has artwork. Famous pieces of art that he has “collected” from investors, clients, and the occasional museum adorn the walls of his office. An old fashion typewriter sits on his desk, I personally think he only keeps it to give the room an older look, but I haven’t asked him, and I never will.  
“Hello Arthur.” I look up from where I have stumbled into his office. “Why don’t you take a seat?” He points toward one of the chairs across from his desk, as he moves towards his own chair. I sit in a small wooden chair in front of his desk that is clearly designed to make anyone feel intimidated, whiles he takes a seat in a very large, and obviously extravagant desk chair that matches his desk. “Well Mr. Wright” He says as he leans back in his chair. “I’ve received some complaints tonight, all of which are regarding you.” Mr. Caruso folds his hands together in front of his chest as he waits for what he assumes will be me begging to keep my job. “I’m sorry sir, but I’m just having a bad night.” He frowns; I guess that wasn’t the answer he wanted. “Now what could cause you to have such a bad night?” I try to say this in as few words as possible, as I am still trying to wrap my mind around the idea. “I um, I talked to my sister today.” At the mention of Alice his interest spikes significantly. “I assume Alice told you about her new job position, I’m surprised she didn’t tell you sooner, I thought she told you everything.” Mr. Caruso gives me a small, but obviously satisfied grin, as he runs his fingers along the edge of his desk. “And I’m assuming that she found out about you and Scott as well.” What the hell how could he know about us.. “I’m sorry sir I don’t know what you’re referring to.” His hand hit the desk. “Don’t lie to me Arthur, I am well aware of your relationship with Scott, I know how long you’ve been seeing him, and I know that no one else knows about your relationship.” The fact that he knows about Scott and I is more concerning than his usual level of creepiness.   
“You know I don’t care if my employees see each other, however I do not tolerate your personal life affecting your work effort.” He says this with such a serious expression that I start to fear for more than just my job. “Mr. Caruso, I am so sorry that I caused complaints tonight, I swear this won’t happen again, I just wasn’t expecting to find out that my little sister is working as a stripper in your bar. She’s too young and she should not be forced into that.” Mr. Caruso’s eyes widen for the briefest second before his face returns to his usual calm expression. He stands up and begins to walk around his desk. “Arthur, I don’t believe you understand just how generous I am being toward you and your sister. Your family owes me a lot of money, and trust me I could have used both of you to make that money back much faster.” At this point he is standing directly behind me his hands moving along the back of my chair. “Tell me Arthur, are you a virgin?” As he finishes his question, his hands land on my shoulders. “N-No sir.” His fingers start drumming on my shoulder. “And have you ever worked after hours here?” I really don’t like where this conversation is going. “No sir.” I can feel has grip tighten slightly. “Well Arthur, after your little mishaps tonight, I’m going to let you make it up to me. You will work after hours with two clients, and I’ll consider this conversation forgotten, and I’ll let you keep half the money. Sound fair?” Shit I know what “after hours” are and I am not interested in getting fucked by strange men with too much money, but it’s not like I have a choice, I can’t let him take anymore of his frustration out on Alice. Besides I’m not a virgin, well actually considering the position I will be expected to take I guess I am a virgin. Oh God, I can feel my heart starting to beat rapidly. “Mr. Caruso, are you sure there isn’t anything else I can do to make this up to you?” He turns to stand in front of me and leans against his desk. “Well, I could always have Alice brought to my estate tonight.” “NO, no please.” I fall to me knees in front of him. “Please I’ll do what you want, just don’t bring Alice into this she’s to young and she doesn’t deserve this.” Mr. Caruso has a contemplative look on his face as he reaches his hand up to run through my hair. He grabs the back of my hair to lift my head up. “You are lucky that you are pretty Arthur, you could make a lot of money if you know how to use your looks.” He pulls me up to stand before him. “You will be brought to the back tonight. Now go back to work.” He pushes me toward the door.  
As soon as I walk out I call Alice to let her know that I am working late tonight, however I can’t bear to tell her why I am working late. As I walk back down to the bar I can feel some of my coworkers staring at me and I can only imagine how quickly the news will spread of my conversation with Mr. Caruso.


	14. After Hours

Fine Print officially closes at 2am, which is when I always find myself refusing to fill the last drink orders and encouraging our customer to go home. Some have already decided to stay for after hours, but I try to encourage as many of them to go home as possible. I usually finish cleaning up the bar around 2:30, which is exactly when Damien comes to collect me. “Hey Arthur, Caruso says you need to go in the back and change.” Again he has that cocky smirk on his face that he always has, especially when he is enjoying my misery.   
Having never stayed for after hours I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I wasn’t expecting just a long hallway lined with rooms. Damien leads me to the last room in the hallway and unlocks the door. He opens it to a room that is very bright and blasting loud music. He half shoves me in and right before he closes the door he says “I’ll come get you when we have a customer ready.” Then he slams the door shut. I quickly walk back up to the door to open it, but when I grab the handle it refuses to move. “Hey sweetheart, the door’s not gonna open.” I turn around to see a man sitting in a chair in front of a mirror lined with lights. He is dressed in a short frilly skirt, black thigh highs, and a corset, with a shocking amount of makeup on. “They lock the door until they need us to work. They say its so the customers can’t get in, but its really so we can’t try and run.” I walk over to a chair next to him and slump into the seat. “Don’t worry you’ll get used to it, I’m Ethan” he says, while extending a manicured hand. “What’s you’re name handsome?” I am hesitant to shake his hand at first, but he gives me a very sincere and reassuring smile, so I take his hand. “I’m Arthur, it’s nice to meet you Ethan.” He gives a chuckle, “Well Arthur, the guy changing over there is Jason, and Mr. tall, dark, and brooding in the corner is Danny.” I give them a wave. “Hey Danny can you help him find something to wear?” This eventually leads to Danny pulling out a pair of very short and very tight black shorts and a small black vest. Pulling on the shorts is harder than I thought it would be and the vest is way too tight, so it doesn’t help when Danny tightens the straps on the back of the vest until the buttons are ready to pop. Ethan then insists that I put on makeup, not as much as him, but having never worn makeup it seems a little excessive. I think Ethan wants to kill me after the effort that he put into getting eye liner on my eyes without poking me and arguing with me about wearing blush.   
Around 3am Damien comes back into the room to get Ethan and Jason. Ethan follows Damien and Jason out the door. “It was nice meeting you sweetheart, good luck tonight, try to enjoy yourself. Damien comes back five minutes later to get Danny and he tells me to wait again. The anticipation is starting to get to me and it feels like my heart is going to beat out of my chest. I hear the lock on the door turn just before Mr. Caruso walks into the room. He sits in the chair that Ethan was originally in and waits for me to look at him.   
“Well Arthur, you should consider yourself lucky, I have arranged for you to only see one customer tonight rather than two. However before you see him we need to go over a few rules.” I try not to glare at him as he continues to speak as if he has done me a favor. “First rule, do NOT ask his name. You will call him Sir, unless he specifically tells you otherwise, got it?” I nod, honestly the less I know about this guy the better. “Second rule, you do what he says, whatever he says.” That rule is more concerning. “Um Mr. Caruso I know this is really new to me, but you saying that isn’t helping me to feel any less nervous.” He actually laughs at me for that. “Arthur it’s not my job to make you feel comfortable, it’s your job to make the customer feel good. Which brings me to the last condition. This client is paying double because he wants a virgin.” I snap back in my chair, “But, I’m not a virgin, what is he going to do if he finds out?” “Well Arthur I spoke with Scott today and he let me know that he is the only person you have slept with and he also mentioned that you always top, which leads me to believe that you are technically still a virgin.”   
I stand up to confront him, as if intimidating him would work. “WHAT, you have no right to talk to Scott about our sex life!” I shout at him. He doesn’t even flinch. So I slump down onto the floor. “We were waiting until our 6 month anniversary.” I can feel myself shaking. “Sir please don’t make me do this I can’t do this, I’m terrified.” He grabs the back of my neck and pulls me up. “Arthur, you are perfect for this client, he wants someone young, beautiful, and innocent. Just do exactly what he says and he won’t hurt you. Too much.” Mr. Caruso guides me out the door and into the long hallway again. The walk to this new unspecified room feels like an eternity. As if the hallway just continued to get longer with every step. When we reach the door Damien is waiting with a key for the room. “Hey, I see Danny was in charge of your wardrobe. Nice make up.” I glare at him just before he opens the door. “Arthur he’s paying for a full night of your time, try to keep him happy.” Mr. Caruso leaves me with that encouraging statement before he shoves me into the room.


	15. Pretty Boy

When I step through the door I notice my client is already sitting in a large ornate chair near the fireplace in what can only be described as a large and overly decorated bedroom. He looks up when I take a step into the room and stares at me as if I am a meal that he is going to devour. He lifts a hand and motions with one finger for me to come closer, until I am standing right in front of him. My client is not the older lonely businessman that I was expecting, but a young maybe 30-year old man with dark brown hair and pale skin. I would probably consider him attractive if I were not terrified at the fact that he is paying to have sex with me.   
“Caruso tells me you are a bartender, why don’t you make me a martini, and make yourself something while you’re at it.” That wasn’t the introduction I was expecting, but I could definitely use a drink to get through tonight.   
I walk over to the bar and make his martini and one for myself as well. After I bring him his drink, he asks me to take a seat in the opposite chair. He sips his drink slowly, watching me as I try to look at everything except him. I watch him place his finished drink on the table beside his chair. He then stands up and walks up to me. He holds out his hand for me to take it, with what looks like a genuine smile. I hesitate to take his hand and I can see the smile on his face change to a smirk. He moves his hand to my face and slowly caresses my cheek in a mock of affection. “You must know that you’re beautiful.” I keep as still as possible, but I can’t look at him. Unfortunately this isn’t the response he wanted. His soft hand turns to a hard grip under my chin that pulls my face up to face him. “Arthur you know why I’m paying for you tonight, I suggest you make this as easy as possible on yourself.” He removes his hand from my chin and holds it out in front of me again. I don’t hesitate this time, and I take his hand in mine. He pulls me up and begins to walk toward the bed.  
I can hear my heart beating, it’s too loud and the room is too quiet. As we reach the foot of the bed, he faces me and begins to unbutton the small vest that I am still wearing. It’s a slow process, but he is delicate and slowly removes the vest from my shoulders. His hands begin to run along my abs, up to my chest and down my arms. When he reaches my wrists, he guides them to his shirt and encourages me to remove his shirt. I am much slower than him, as there are more buttons and my hands are shaking from the nerves. I can tell he is growing impatient when he helps me with the last few buttons. His shirt falls to the floor to reveal a chest with minimal chest hair, a strong stomach, and a range of scars. I don’t want to know what they are from.  
My client begins to walk me backward until I am at the side of the bed and he can push me back onto it. I push myself back until I am leaning against a pile of pillows against the headboard. He then climbs onto the bed and I can see the predatory look in his eyes as he straddles me, his hips pressing onto mine. My breath hitches when I feel that he is already aroused. Unfortunately he has also noticed that I am not aroused. “Lie back” is the only thing he says to me. He continues his previous motions of running his hands along my skin, however this time he continues to move his hands down to caress my thighs and around to my butt where he grabs me. I grab the sheets to hide my surprise, but I can tell he is getting the reaction he wants. Not that I’m surprised when he specifically requested a virgin. His roaming hands only stop at one point so that he can remove his pants and underwear. I can see that he is fully aroused and I can only hope that he will be gentle, otherwise I won’t be walking tomorrow.  
He returns to the bed and immediately moves his hands to my hips. I can feel him beginning to pull down my shorts and I immediately moves my hands to stop him. “Please don’t.” I say, as one last chance to change his mind. This only angers him, and he retaliates by grabbing my wrists and moving my hands above my head. “Don’t let go of the headboard, understood?” My hands grab the wooden headboard “Yes sir.” I can feel my voice crack as I feel myself accept that this is going to happen. He returns to pulling down my shorts until he can pull them from my legs and toss them across the room. I am still not aroused and I can tell that this is starting to frustrate him. He moves so that he is kneeling over me, his hips sitting on my hips and his mouth resting on my neck. He is starting to kiss and bite into my neck as his hips begin to move. I whimper as I feel him leave marks on my neck. I keep my eyes closed to try and imagine myself anywhere else but here.   
Apparently he doesn’t like when I close my eyes. I feel a slap on my thigh before he tells me to look at him. Unfortunately the sight I am met with is not reassuring. He is kneeling over me with a small bottle of lube. “If you don’t keep your eyes open, we might have to change positions.” He says with an almost enthusiastic smile.  
I watch as he coats two of his fingers in lube before placing them near my entrance. I grab the headboard as tight as possible once I feel his slippery hands reach down to grab my butt. At this point the only thing I can do is close my eyes and pray that he does not take pleasure in causing pain. The room is unnaturally quiet until I feel the first cold finger start to press into me, and my loud gasp penetrates the silence. I hear him moan as his finger pushes further into my body. I try to arch up away from the feeling, but his other hand is on my hip keeping me on the bed. “Trust me Arthur this will hurt less if you relax.” Gee thanks for the advice, I wish I could use it I think sarcastically, however what I actually say is “Sorry Sir I wasn’t expecting this to feel so…so, ahh different.” That seems to encourage him because I am starting to feel a second finger trying to join the first. Unfortunately the feeling is starting to go from unpleasant to painful. When his two fingers start to separate inside me is when I can hear my own whimpers of pain. The second slap to my thigh reminds me that I have once again closed my eyes.   
Suddenly his movements stop abruptly and his hands move up to remove mine from the headboards. Then he grabs my hips and before I know what he is planning, he flips me onto my stomach. I gasp at his swift movement of me, but only for a second before I attempt to pull myself away from him, unfortunately there his nowhere to go. He grabs my hips and pulls them right below his own making sure to dig his fingers into my skin and slowly moving his hands back up my torso until he is placing my hands back up to the headboard. This time he ties my hands to the headboard with a course rope that burns. I hiss with the pain from the rope “Please, please.” The second one is more of a whisper. Unfortunately every time I try to pull at the binding he slaps me. I turn my head to try and look at him, to possibly make him change his mind. He gives me a terrible grin “It’s to late for that pretty boy, if you don’t look at me you don’t get to look at anything.” He gets off of the bed and walks over to a bag that I hadn’t noticed before. I watch him pull out a long black silk ribbon and a smaller thin piece of black rope. He walks back over to the bed and I attempt once again to pull my self as far away from him as possible until he grabs my hips again and pulls me into the center of the bed. I see him take the larger ribbon and watch as pulls it up to my head before it covers my eyes. He pulls it tight and I hiss as he knots the ribbon behind my head pulling my hair with it. I can’t see what he is doing with the other ribbon until I feel it around my privates. “Wh-What are you doing?” I hear him laugh. “Don’t worry pretty boy I know what I’m doing.” I feel the ribbon tied tightly around my privates. With one hand on my back to hold me down I can feel his two fingers once again enter me. However that time is short lived before he is pulling his fingers out and I can hear the lube bottle opening again. I can hear him covering himself in lube, but I don’t remember seeing him with a condom, not that arguing for him to use one is going to help me. I try to brace myself for the inevitable. I move a pillow into my mouth, ready to muffle any sounds. I don’t want this bastard to hear how much I hate this, but when I feel him start to push into me I can’t help but yell out, because I am too tight, too tense, and too scared. Sadly my opinion doesn’t appear to be relevant tonight as he begins to use my body at an unforgiving pace.


	16. Awkward Encounters

My alarm goes off at 8:30, giving me just enough time to shower and change before running over to work. I look over at Arthur’s bed and notice that he still isn’t here. I would normally be more concerned except for the fact that he said he would be home late, however I figured late would mean 4am. I call before I jump in the shower just telling him to call me back so I know where he is. When he still doesn’t call I call him again as I’m leaving for work and leave another voice mail.   
As I walk out of our apartment I feel like I have walked into a wall of heat. The middle of July in New York is always hot and full of grumpy people. My shorts are barely longer than what I wear at work as I run down the block to get to the club on time. This leads to me running into Jacob Heckler as I run into the club at 9:30, which is extremely awkward after the last time I saw him wasn’t the best experience. “oh I’m sorry” I mumble. “Oh Alice, yea um so how are you?” He says as he scratches the back of his head. I think about how I am supposed to answer his questions, because the most common answer would be to just say I’m fine, but he most know that I’m not, but if he knows that I am not fine is he actually interested in how I am doing or is he just asking me because he has nothing better to say.  
I settle for the very impersonal answer of “Oh you know work is busy, I feel like I never leave.” Which he should know anyway since his older brother Eric runs the club and I know he works with Eric when it comes to making our schedules. But now he looks upset “Well if you think you are working to hard I can ask my brother to give to less hours.” I throw my hands up, “What no that’s a horrible idea I need the money, I don’t know if you’ve noticed but Arthur and I aren’t exactly rolling in money, unlike you and your brother.” I probably shouldn’t have said that. “Oh Alice, jeez, I’m sorry, if it makes you feel any better Eric isn’t here this morning, so I am actually running the club until tonight.” Oh I wasn’t expecting that, but I won’t complain. “Um ok well I’m going to change and meet Nikki on the floor.” I walk right past him and directly into the dressing room.  
“Hey girl.” Nikki says as I shut the door. “Hey Nikki sorry I’m late, I just had the most awkward conversation with Jake.” I drop my bag and pick up my practice clothes, which are a pair of tiny shorts and a sports bra that I will throw a thin workout shirt over so that I don’t feel so exposed. Nikki is already dressed and is pulling up her hair when she randomly asks me “Are you sleeping with Jake?” I actually drop the hair tie that I was holding in my mouth. “Uhm, no I’m not sleeping with him. Why would you ask?” She shrugs her shoulders, “I don’t know he’s always staring at you, I figured that you either were sleeping together or you used to.” “Uh no we actually went to high school together and he was my date to prom. And well you know that night didn’t exactly end well.” Nikki doesn’t respond for a while as we walk into the back room of the club to meet up with two of the other dancers at Caruso’s club. We are rehearsing a new “group dance” which is a fancy way of saying we are doing synchronized pole dancing. Fortunately without Eric here we don’t have to rehearse while he watches and Jake is nice enough to be busy doing something else.   
At 2 o’clock an hour before the club opens Scott clocks in, and thank god he’s here because I have been dying to talk to him. I practically tackle him when he reaches the bar. “Hey Scott have you heard from Arthur today?” Scott looks up from behind the bar while he is setting up classes. “No I called this morning, but he didn’t answer.” That’s not good, “Damn, I’ve been calling him all day and he hasn’t answered me.” Scott shrugs his shoulders “maybe his phone died and he’s to busy at work.” “Scott, he’s supposed to be off today because he worked late last night, but he never came home this morning.” Scott’s eyebrows practically jump when he appears to realize where Arthur is. “I’ll be right back.” He says before running off.  
I go back to rehearsing and I notice when Scott comes back into the bar with Jake. Unfortunately by the time I get the chance to go ask Jake about Arthur the bar is ready to open and I have to change into my uniform. This only leads to a very long night and I am not putting up with any of the usual customers’ comments, I actually end up throwing a drink into a man’s face after he tried to grope my ass under my skirt. Scott and Eric have to come pull me out of the bar while preventing the man from trying to hit me. This leads to Eric pulling me into the dressing room. “You know, that drink is coming out of your pay check.” I give him a deadly stare as I huff in frustration. “What’s wrong, why are you in a crappy mood tonight?”   
“Because I still don’t know where Arthur is! He’s not answering his phone and he hasn’t called anyone.” I start hyperventilating, “What if something happened to him, Eric he might need my help and I have no clue where he is.” Eric grabs my arms to stop me from flailing. “Jade relax, did he work last night?” I nod. “Ok I’ll call the club and ask them if he left last night.”   
He immediately pulls out his phone to call Fine Print. His conversation is mostly comprised of yup, unha, and oks, which is very frustrating for me. When he hangs up he says “Ok according to the logged hours he was scheduled to work until 3 am but he was also supposed to stay after and help out. The security guards said that they didn’t see him leave today.” I really want to kick myself for not calling the club earlier, not that they would have answered my questions without Jake or Eric there to ask them but still its frustrating. “Eric can I please leave early tonight, you have more than enough girls and I promise to will work and extra shift next week, please I need to go get Arthur.” I am practically begging at this point. He looks like he isn’t going to let me leave for about five seconds before he says, “Let Jake drive you there and home, I’ll see you tomorrow night. With that he walks out of the room.  
I don’t even have time to register how lucky I am for him to say yes. I grab Jake from his office and explain what’s happening as we run out to his car. I spend the 15 minute car ride to Fine Print shaking and tapping on the door. I swear every red light was trying to make us late. As soon as we pull up to the club Jake and I jump out of the car and Jake flashes his fancy ID to the security guard allowing us to skip the growing line that is forming outside of the club. We run inside and Jake is greeted my some friends that work for Mr. Caruso and apparently some of the guys recognize me from the bar. “Heyyyy Jade” One of them slurs out, already overly drunk. “That show you did with the Alice thing was hot.” He has this big grin on his face as he stares at me, which is when I realize that I am still in my work uniform. I grab Jake’s arm “Yea thanks, you can talk to Jake later he’s helping me right now.”  
We run to the back of the club which I’m assuming is similar to the back of the other club with a couple of dressing rooms and offices, however at Fine Print I find out that Jake has to swipe his ID to get us in the back and it is decorated. Why would the back of a club be decorated? We walk past a couple of labeled doors and reach a flight of stairs that we run up. Of course as soon as I turn the corner on the second floor I run directly into Mr. Caruso. “Oh my god, I am so sorry Mr. Caruso I didn’t mean to run into you, I’m sorry.” Jake has caught up to me and is standing behind me while trying to look as inconspicuous as possible. “Ah hello Jake, it’s good to see you.” “Good evening Mr. Caruso, sorry to bother you, we will be out of here shortly.” He smiles, “Hmmm may I ask why you have decided to grace my establishment with your presence tonight, Alice?”   
“I’m here to find my brother Mr. Caruso, he said he was working late last night and he didn’t come home this morning.” He smile only widens. “Of course, if he is where I saw him last night, you will find him in room seven.” He begins to walk past us, but stops at the stairs, “You might want to knock first.” And he continues down the stairs.   
I run to the door and grab the knob, locked damn it. I pull on the handle and knock on the door. “Arthur! Arthur!” I continue to bang on the door until I feel the door handle turn. I step back and expect Arthur to open it and I am shock when some guy in a suit walks out of the room and winks at me. I am about to shout at him when Jake comes from behind me and starts talking to this mysterious man. “Sir it’s good to see you again, I’m sure you will want to speak with Mr. Caruso before you leave. I’m sorry we interrupted you.” He smiles at Jacob and puts an arm around his shoulder. “It’s good to see you again Jacob, don’t worry about interrupting I was finished already. Would you mind directing me to Mr. Caruso’s office?” “Of course Sir.” Jake looks back at me and motions toward the door then he turns and begins to walk away with this mysterious man.


	17. I Couldn't Tell You

I run into the room not sure what I was expecting. However I was not expecting to see my brother lying on a large bed naked. “A-Arthur” I say as I slowly walk toward him. I hear him moan from the bed, but I can’t see his face because he is lying on his stomach. “Arthur are you ok?” I ask, as if I don’t already know the answer. I walk around the bed so that it is easier to reach him and as I approach the bed I notice something that I never imagined I would see. On the backs of his thighs and his butt I can see blood and what can only be semen. I choke back a sob as I realize just how bad Arthur’s night is. I try to pull myself together for the moment and I sit at the head of the bed to try and speak to Arthur. “Arthur can you answer me?” I ask as I try to pull him to face me. I gasp when I realize that he can’t move his arms because there is rope around his wrists holding him to the bed and I shriek when he turns his head and I realize that he hasn’t been answering me because there is a black cloth in his mouth preventing him from speaking and another preventing him from seeing me.  
I pull the cloth out and begin to untie the rope from around his head and wrists “Arthur please I need you to answer me.” He moans then I hear a quite “Alice?” He sounds like he is in a lot of pain and I can’t bear to hear his pain. “Ok Arthur I know you are in pain, but we need to get you out of this bed. Please try to help me, and just tell me if you’re in too much pain.” I find a button on the cuffs that immediately opens the cuffs. I put my arms around his waist and a part of me brakes inside when he flinches from my touch. His body is basically dead weight for me to carry and I realize that he really can’t hold himself up.   
Fortunately Jake comes back up to the room while I am in the middle of getting Arthur to sit on the bed. “Jake” I call out. “Can you help Arthur sit up?” I ask as he walks in the room. Jake immediately walks over to us and puts his arms under Arthur’s shoulders to help pull him up. I can hear a quite whimper coming from Arthur once he is sitting and I realize that sitting must not be comfortable for him. I cringe when I think of what he could have gone through last night.   
I look around for something that Arthur can wear and I find a small robe in the bathroom, probably intended for the other man that was here. I bring the robe over to him and help him maneuver his arms into the robe while trying not to cringe too much. “Arthur, Jake and I are going to help you down to the car and Jake is gonna drive us home, ok?” He nods. Getting Arthur to stand is a ten-minute ordeal that involves him almost hitting the floor twice. But once he is standing Jake and I take either side of him and slowly walk with him down to the back entrance of the club.  
Jake’s car is waiting for us at the back entrance of the club, once we get Arthur to lie across the back seat of the car Jake runs to the driver’s side and starts the car while I sit in the back with Arthur and place his head on my lap. Jake drives as quickly as possible, which unfortunately causes Arthur more discomfort. I try to smooth back his hair and offer as much comfort as possible but I know he is in too much pain. The thought of what he has been through is horrifying. I can’t imagine how long it will take him to heel, or how long he will be out of work. Oh God, I hate myself for being concerned with his work and not just his health, but I realize that I will have to take on extra shifts until he is better.  
We pull up to our apartment and Jake and I carry Arthur upstairs and slowly lower him on to his bed. I’m not sure how to help Arthur or touch him without traumatizing him. Jake says that he has to go back to the club and he tells me that he will cover for me for the rest of tonight and tomorrow.   
“Arthur do you want me to help you change into pjs?” He slowly shakes his head. I sit on the bed next to him, but I keep my distance when I see him flinch. “Arthur, I can’t imagine the pain you are in right now, but I think you would be more comfortable if you change out of the clothes from last night.” He shakes his head again and starts shivering. I grab a fuzzy blanket to cover him, and carefully tuck the blanket around him. “Arthur I’m going to get some Advil, I’ll be right back.” I run to the kitchen to grab the meds and run back to our room as quickly as possible because I am too afraid to leave him alone.   
I sit on the edge of his bed with a glass of water and two extra-strength pills “Arthur, do you think you can take these?” I wait until he opens his eyes and sees what I am offering. He gives me a tiny nod. I place the pills in his mouth and the straw just at his lips so he can drink. I sit next to him for a while and rub his back while we wait for the Advil to work.   
About a half hour later I ask Arthur if he wants me to help him change again and he gives me a small nod. I grab a pair of long pajama pants and a t-shirt for him and go back to the bed. I help him lean up against the head of the bed and I try not to cringe when I see him curl up and pull the robe tighter around him. “Arthur do you want me to leave the room?” He shakes his head. “No” He whispers. “Ok… can I help to get changed?” He hugs the robe tighter. “Arthur I think you will be more comfortable if you put your pjs on.” “I know.” He whispers.  
He moves to the edge of the bed so I can help him step into his pj pants. He pulls up his pajamas before untying his robe. As the robe falls off his shoulders I get a better look at the bruises on his hips and shoulders. The now purple bruises are very noticeably in the shape of fingers and hand marks. I help him into his t-shirt and Arthur immediately lies back down and I tuck him into his bed. “Hey Arthur I’m going to just call the club and let them know that we won’t be coming in tomorrow. I’ll be right back.”   
I go into the kitchen and close the door to our bedroom before calling the club. I grab the phone and call Eric’s office. He picks up the phone on the fifth ring. “Caruso’s bar this is Eric.” “Hey Eric its Jade.” “JADE, where the hell are you? And where is Jake?” I can tell this conversation isn’t going to go well. “Eric I’m at home, Jake should be on his way back to th--” He cuts me off “Why the hell are you at home, the club opens in an hour?” “Eric listen I’m home with Arthur, Caruso’s gone too far, Jake drove me to get Arthur at Fine Print. That bastard made Arthur sleep with some creep that tied him up and took advantage of him. I need to stay home with him tomorrow, I’m afraid to leave him alone.” There’s a long pause before his answer. “Um…ok, I can give you the rest of tonight off, but you know how Caruso is, he doesn’t like you give nights off.” Now I’m mad. “ERIC ARE YOU SERIOUS MY BROTHER WAS—”I lower my voice. “My brother was raped last night and you expect us to work tomorrow. He can barely stand and I need to make sure he’s ok.” Another long pause, “Fine if you can get someone to cover for you tomorrow, but you owe me.” “Are you kidding me, after what you put me through, I owe you nothing. The only thing we owe is money to Caruso, and he’s not making this easy.” I can hear him laughing. “Hey if you’ve got a problem with the rules talk to Caruso.” “Gee thanks Eric.” I lower my voice to a whisper. “Um but if you possibly know a doctor that I could call about coming here to see Arthur, because I’m afraid to move him.” He laughs again. “I’m sure it wont surprise you to know that Caruso has a private doctor for this type of situation. I could give him a call if you want.” “Thanks Eric…what’s it gonna cost me?” “Well for you Jade… two full Friday shifts.” Of course, “Eric you know I hate the Friday shifts.” “Sorry Jade, but Caruso’s policy is that you have to work off twice of what you missed.” “Fine, Eric I just need a doctor that can come see Arthur tonight, can you please make that happen. “Yea, I’ll call him now, you should expect him in an hour.” And before I can thank him he hangs up.


	18. Panic Attack

I hear a knock on our door exactly 47 minutes later, not that I was counting. I opened the door and was standing in front of the doctor I recognized from the club though I had never actually made his acquaintance. He stuck out his hand in greeting “I’m Dr. Grey, you must be Jade?” I shook his hand as I fully opened the door and invited him in. “Yes I’m Jade, did Eric tell you about the urgency of this appointment?” He nodded his head, “Yes, if you would just take me to the patient I’ll have him fixed up shortly.

We walk back into our bedroom and Arthur hasn’t moved. Dr. Grey walks over to Arthur and actually kneels in front of the bed. “Mr. Wright, I’m Dr. Grey, your sister has let me know of your situation and has requested that I see to you to make sure that we don’t have to send you to the hospital.” I watch as Arthur pulls the blankets tighter around himself. “I’d rather not.” I walk over and sit at the foot of his bed. “Arthur please, I understand why you don’t want him here, but I’m too scared to let you go to bed without seeing a doctor.” 

After Dr. Grey reassured Arthur that he would be as quick as possible he grudgingly agreed to an exam under the condition that I stay and hold his hand during it. With the checkup finished Dr. Grey assured me that Arthur would be fully healed within five days and that he would try to request as much time off as possible while he recovers. I stop him as he’s walking out of our apartment. “Please tell Jake I said thanks.” “What do you mean?” He asks. I know that you don’t make house calls; Jake must have pulled some strings to get you here without costing a fortune.” He laughs. “I’ll pass along the thanks.”   
He left and I returned to Arthur who is now lying in bed with the blankets pulled over his head. I sit on the bed next to him and try not to take it personally when he flinches away from me. Unfortunately I have no idea what to say to him to make this better, well I don’t think saying anything would make this better. I place a hand on his shoulder above the covers. “Arthur is there anything you need?” He just shrugs. “Do you want to be alone?” “No” he mumbles. “Can I hug you?” He doesn’t say anything but he shifts closer to me so I take that as a yes. I slide down in the bed so I’m lying next to him and I wrap my arms around him. I fall asleep holding Arthur.

I wake up a few hours later to thrashing arms and screaming. I realize that Arthur is in the midst of a nightmare; he is drenched in sweat and has consequently managed to cover me in sweat. I try to shake him gently, his body is burning but I can see him shivering. “Arthur! Arthur!” I try to wake him up, but he continues to thrash his arms about. “Arthur please it’s just a dream.” I grab his arm to keep him from hitting me, but when I do he tenses suddenly and starts mumbling. It disturbs me when I hear him begging and asking me to stop. “Arthur please it’s just me it’s Alice, please wake up.” He continues to throw his arms at me and I do something that I am not proud of and hope I never have to do again, I slap him across the face. 

I think the shock from being slapped wakes him up more than the pain its self. “Arthur I’m sorry I hit you, but I couldn’t wake you up, and you were starting to scare me.” He sits up in bed and pulls the blankets off of him. “It’s ok, thanks for waking me.” He sits on the bed and looks at his nails for a while. “Hey um, I think I’m going to take a shower, I feel really gross right now.” “Ok, sure I’ll change the sheet while you do that…do you need help getting to the shower?” Instead of answering he goes to get off the bed, I see him wince once or twice, but he doesn’t ask for help so I assume he’s trying to prove that he’s ok. 

He walks into the bathroom and I hear the shower go on and the shower curtain close. I stripped the sheets off the bed and throw them in the hamper before grabbing new sheets and making his bed. I decide to change the sheets on my bed while I’m up and grab a towel from the closet when I realize that Arthur didn’t bring one into the bathroom. I knock on the door to ask Arthur if he is still in the shower. He doesn’t answer, but I can still hear the water. I knock again. “Arthur you forgot a towel can I come in?” No answer. I knock again “Arthur I’m coming in I really hope you’re still in the shower.” I open the door slowly and peak my head around to make sure Arthur has time if he needs to warn me, but I don’t see him. The shower curtain is closed and I can hear the water running. “Arthur are you ok?” He doesn’t answer. “Hey bro I brought you a towel.” I go to hang the towel on the hook next to the shower when I realize his clothes aren’t on the floor. “Hey did you go in the shower with you pajama pants on? Arthur?” I wait for him to answer. After a minute I hear a sobbing sound coming from the shower. “Hey are you ok?” I can hear his sobbing from the shower. “Arthur can I open the curtain?” At this point I’m too concerned to worry about his privacy and I rip open the curtain to find Arthur sobbing in the corner of the shower still in his pants with the water running over his head. I turn off the water and join him in the tub. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what to do or how I’m supposed to help you, but whatever you need me to do please just don’t be afraid to talk to me.” His sobbing continues for another hour before I am able to coax him out of the tub and into a new pair of pajamas before getting him back into bed.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoy the story, comments are welcome


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